For many housebound seniors in Montgomery County, getting an annual flu shot can be a challenge. Gearing up and heading to a doctor or pharmacy can be a daunting task, and scheduling someone to administer the shot in-home can be both tricky and costly.
Skippack Pharmacy—located at 4118 West Skippack Pike, Schwenksville—is looking to alleviate those concerns via their free At-Home Flu Shot Program, which launched several weeks ago.
“The At-Home Flu Shot program was inspired by my grandmother, whom I took care of until her last breath,” said Dr. Mayank Amin, owner of Skippack Pharmacy. “I had the privilege to manage all of her healthcare needs and work with different providers to ensure she was getting the care she needed. She would have a lot of her providers come to her home, because she was home-bound towards the end. In our case, I was her pharmacist, so I'd be by her side to take care of that aspect, but there are many grandparents and seniors who don't have family members or can't get out of their house. For them, I'll be the ‘grandson,’...the pharmacist who goes to them and takes care of the pharmacy aspect.”
Since the program’s launch two weeks ago, Amin has provided 54 free flu shots to housebound seniors in Montgomery County. Though he hasn’t had a chance to promote the program—until now—word of mouth has caused a daily string of requests for the free shot.
For those who may be in need of the flu shot, you can make a house call request by calling 610-584-6979 or via email at [email protected]. Amin said there is no end date for the program, but requests are handled on a first-come, first-served basis.
“We want to be able to help as many people as we can, but are also limited by the amount of vaccines we can get from the supplier,” said Amin. “If you are interested in getting the flu shot either at home or at the pharmacy; now's the best time!”
Patients that have taken up Amin on his offer include a 100-year-old woman who couldn’t get out of her home, and a woman in Hatfield who has difficulty getting out of her home due to needing an oxygen machine. The free flu shot offer is available to any housebound senior in Montgomery County.
“My grandmother isn't here for me to take care of her [anymore], but I sure do have a lot of patients who are like my family,” said Amin.
For more information, visit www.skippackpharmacy.com. Follow them on Facebook by clicking here.
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